Leeton resident Dee Polsen said she has had to deal with other people's cats entering her property and spraying or defecating.

Mrs Polsen said Leeton Shire Council should enforce similar measures as the ACT government which introduced a ban on freely roaming cats.

From July 1 2022, new cats in all Canberra suburbs must always be kept inside or in enclosures to reduce their impact on native species and the environment.

Owners will also have to leash and accompany their cats when outside.

"I agree with what's happening in Canberra, it's a darn good idea," Mrs Polsen said. "If us dog owners have to do the right thing then so should cat owners."

Mrs Polsen said she previously raised the matter of restrictions to the council but was unsuccessful.

"They basically said it's not their problem," she said. "Well I pay my rates and it is their problem."

Under the NSW Companion Animals Act 1998 cats are only restricted from entering hospitality venues or protected wildlife areas.

Provided they are microchipped, registered and wearing identification, there are no other restrictions on where cats can roam.

Murrumbidgee Field Naturalists secretary Dionee Russel said restricting cats to indoor settings would benefit both the Leeton Shire and the environment.

"Cats impact a lot of little things," Mrs Russel said.

"There's a lot of small birds that nest down low in shrubbery and cats do away with them when it's nesting time.

"I'm of the opinion that if you have a cat then it's an inside cat or you have a cattery."

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While agreeing that cat owners should take more responsibility and council should enforce an ACT-like approach, cat owner Peta Tarlinton didn't think they had the available resources.

"Cats are difficult to catch and residents may not be so easy to persuade," she said.

"I have always found council to be very vigilant with the roaming dog issue, but they would certainly need additional resources to manage this."

Miss Tarlinton said she kept her cats contained in an outside enclosure attached to her house's back door.

For her it was worth the peace of mind knowing her cats weren't roaming on neighboring properties, crossing busy roads or killing wildlife.

"It's at night when they are at their most destructive," she said.

Leeton mayor Tony Reneker said the issue of cat containment had not yet been raised to him or the council.

He added that council's emphasis on owners controlling dogs rather than cats was due to dogs having a higher chance of attacking children or other pets.

Despite this, Cr Reneker said he liked to keep an open mind.

"I'd want to get some community feedback before the council considered taking punitive action," he said.

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